As we were out walking my dog today, we saw a note on the side of a vacant building.
Thinking this was probably just a vacancy notice from a previous tenant thanking the community for their support we nearly walked past.

On these three pages, is a moving story and a deeply touching insight into something we can all learn from.

Not only those who purchase a scarf or gave me a donation, coffee, muffin, scroll, ginger-bread, mince pies, chocolate or even a bottle of beer, but also those who admired my efforts to look after myself and support my daughter at uni and especially all who greeted me with a friendly ‘Good morning’ or ‘hello’ accompanied by a warm smile.

Thank you, one and all to all the truly joyous Christmas and all the best for the year ahead.

A Christmas story…

There was an old man who lived alone. His children grown and moved away, his wife had died, and he was going to be alone on Christmas day. He prayed and asked God to join him for Christmas and God replied: ‘I will’.

So the man prepared a feast from the best he had and laid the table and stoke the fire for he lived in the northern hemisphere where it is very cold at Christmas.

The man sat and waited. There was a knock on his door, so he rose to greet the lord, but it was a traveller who said he has a long way to go and was cold and saw the smoke rising from the chimney, so the man invited him in and sat him by the fire and gave him food and drink. When he had eaten and was warm and dry, he thanks the man and went on his way.

Again, the man sat and waited and again there was a knock on his door, so the man opened his door to find a child crying and lost. The man brought the child in and fed the child and the man and the phone number the child gave and the child’s mother rushed over and thanked the man and they left.

Again, the man sat and waited, and for a third time there was a knock on his door and again the man rose to welcome his lord, but it was a homeless man dressed in rags and very hungry, so the man invited him in, showed him to the shower, gave him new clothes, then say him in his chair by the fire and gave him food and drink. When he was repleat (replete), the homeless man thanked him for his kindness and left.

Again the man sat and waited for his lord. Then the clock struck 12 midnight and Christmas was over. So the man prayed again and asked God why he did not keep his promise? This time god replied ‘I Did’, I was the traveller, I was the child, and I was the homeless man in the rags and at time you made me welcome. The end.

This will be my 6th Christmas on the road and every time someone has asked me to join in their celebrations and this Christmas is no different. I will be with friends. The only time I have ever been alone at Christmas, was when I had a home.

So I ask you please to think of your neighbour who lives alone in their nice house and check to see if they will be alone. If so, please make a place at your table and invite them to join in your celebration. No-one should be alone on Christmas day.